US signs up helpers for Iraq operation

The United States has named 30 governments that have agreed to help in Iraq by contributing to military or police operations.

Some of the countries are unable to pay for their own contributions so they are talking to the US about financial assistance, said the State Department spokesman, Richard Boucher.

The US is anxious to muster as much international support as possible for its forces in Iraq, who face daily attacks and are costing about $US1 billion ($1.5 billion) a week.

The list of governments willing to contribute includes many of those who supported the US invasion of Iraq in March, and none of the main opponents.

A Pentagon official said that it had agreed to pay more than $US200 million in airlift and support costs for a multinational peacekeeping division under Polish command that should be deployed to southern Iraq by the end of September.");document.write("

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Dov Zakheim, the Pentagon comptroller, said that a letter of understanding signed with the Poles last week calls on the Defence Department to pay up to $US40 million in airlift costs for transporting most of the 9000-member division to Iraq and about $US200 million to cover meals, medical care and other support costs.

"It guarantees that within the next few months this division will be on the ground," a Pentagon official said.

While the agreement shows there are significant costs to the US associated with the deployment of multinational peacekeepers, Mr Zakheim said the Pentagon would not cover the largest expense, paying troops.

Spain would contribute 1300 troops to the division and cover its own costs, he said.

The US also will not pay anything towards a second multinational division to be commanded by the British. But Mr Zakheim said the Pentagon would probably end up covering costs associated with a third multinational division that officials are counting on by early next year to relieve the 101st Airborne Division in northern Iraq.

The Polish multinational division will include a 1640-soldier brigade from Ukraine and smaller battalions from Hungary, Romania, Latvia, Estonia, Slovakia, El Salvador, the Dominican Republic, Honduras, Nicaragua, Mongolia and the Philippines.

Some of the countries most able to help, such as France, Russia and India, have said they would need a new United Nations resolution on Iraq before they consider taking part.

The US has said it is considering a new resolution but Washington would want to know in advance that a resolution would persuade these countries to share the military and financial burden of the occupation.

Meanwhile, US forces hunting Saddam Hussein said yesterday that they had captured three key figures loyal to the deposed dictator, including a bodyguard said to have rarely left his side, in raids near Saddam's home town of Tikrit. Newsweek magazine reported that a stash of Viagra, a condom and the equivalent of $A90 million in cash were found with the bodies of Uday and Qusay Hussein, shot last week by US forces in Mosul.